Éléphant: The Memory of Québec Cinema has announced that its catalogue of more than 250 films can now be accessed directly on its website. All the feature films it has digitized and restored are now available in one place, without restriction, from anywhere in Canada. The move marks the 15th anniversary of Quebecor's largest philanthropic project, which was officially launched on November 18, 2008.
The films in Éléphant's catalogue were already available on Videotron's platforms and the Apple TV app. Now they can also be rented for 48 hours at any time on the Éléphant website. To rent a film, visitors to the site simply locate it using the search bar and then click on the Éléphant logo below the trailer. Several collections, including new restorations, can also be found directly on the homepage.
"With this new service, we can proudly say that the films digitized and restored by Éléphant are more accessible than ever," says Sylvie Cordeau, vice-president, philanthropy & sponsorships of Quebecor. "Preserving Québec fiction films and making them available to as many people as possible has always been at the heart of our mission, and this move is very much in line with that goal. Many of these films can also be seen in any country in the world where French or English is an official language."
Officially launched 15 years ago with an initial catalogue of 25 films, Éléphant: The Memory of Québec Cinema has steadily expanded its offerings. In addition to making films available on video-on-demand, Éléphant presents a monthly theatrical screening at the Cinémathèque québécoise and has partnered with a number of prestigious festivals over the years so that film-buffs can see restored movies the way they were meant to be seen, on the big screen.
"Éléphant has done a colossal job over the past 15 years," says Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor. "Thanks to the concerted efforts of a dedicated team combined with MELS' expertise, hundreds of films from our cinematographic heritage have been rescued from oblivion and can now be enjoyed by new generations under optimal conditions. And when cinephiles visit Éléphant's website to rent a film, they can also access the largest existing database on Québec movies. Every feature-length fiction film from the origins of Quebec cinema to the present day is listed, and there are many exclusive interviews with the people who made them."
The Éléphant website at www.elephantcinema.quebec contains the largest existing database and information bank on Québec cinema.